The midland journal., 1887-11-18
The Election and It's Resu Its.
Communicated.

Communicated.
Election day has come and gone and the
world moves along gu ietly as before and
many of the hopes, predictions or promises
made will never lie realized. There are
some features of the case that are worth a
passing notice as showing the state of pub
lie sentiment, and that argue we'll f,r the
future. The universal cutting Of tickets
shows that the mass of the people are nn
longer to be driven like sheep after party
names that mean nothing, or compelled to
follow corrupt leader and vote for men
personally unfit, for the sake of vindicating
a principle where none was involved. Ncr
does the result always prove that it is the
best men that win, or those best qualifidd
to serve the public, for in many cases where
the canvas was conducted on the basis of
personal politics, many votes were secured
by methods that better men despise. This
will always be the case where there is no
well defined Issue before the people. that
every body is capable of understanding, or
about which, for or against, the thinking
people will rally, leaving only the scatter
ing vote, of those who ha ve no opinion of
their own, to be gathered up by that candi-
date who can make himself most agreeable
to their whims or fancies before election,
and who can with most brazen cheek vote
them on election day.
Where the igonrant or illiterate vote is
large we can never elect our most compe-
tent men to Office, for the simple reason
tina; those properly qualified to fill posi-
tlon OF trust or Importance, will not cater
to the corrupt tastes of this class to secure
their vote.
A most conspicuous inst ance of an issue
that was well defined, about which people
could rally, Is given in the election in Chi
cago. The Socialists have been so embold
| ened by the consideration that the Anar-
chlsts have received, that they nominated
ticket for city Office and we see the sur.
prlsing spectacle of Republicans and Dem
ocrats combining to defend the honor of our
country against these foreign ideas. Now
that they haye voted them down by such a
majority, ard now that long delayed justice
has been meted out to the anarchists them
selves. will they take any steps to preve mt
repetition of similar crimes by shutting up
the saloons and aens where these crimes
are taught and planned. Probably not!
That would be an infringement of Per
sonal Liberty" to use the public power Of
the state to prevent crime. When the
first vigorous attempt is made here in Phila
to use the public power to enforce the law =,
that would close the saloons one day in the
week, great howl is raised, and meeting
is called of The Personal Liberty Leagne
to use all means in their power to effect
the repeal or modification of all Sunday
laws. They pledged their influence and
vote. to their interest, and majority of
those that they endorsed have been elected.
1t is true that there were other interest and
issues on which others were divided that
caused the election of some men on the
Democratic ticket in Phila. but that the in.
huence of the Personal Liberty Leage, was
not used against the Republican party is
shown by the majority they gave the state
ticket. These men who run saloons, can
generally be trusted to look out for their
own own interests, which generally are best
served by being in the political favor of the
party in power. Republican Judges can
withhold or cancel their licenses or Re
publican policeman can cause them no lit
tie trouble. (if thev choose to,} so for mu-
tual benefit thew support each other. In
other cities the case NAV be reversed but in
all of them large number of the party
caucusss and primary meetings are held in
saloons. 1t seems that nothing but the ex-
plosion of few dynamite bomos is able to
awake the people and show them where
they are drifting. Public meetings NAV be
called in the churches to protest against the
action of these foreign invaders, and while
thew do nothing but talk the mischief is
growing, and we cannot escape it.
A PRoHIBlTIoNIsT.